Storm Troopers

Article by Akiva:

[snip]

When Ariel Sharon came to power and decided on a radical path directly counter to his election mandate, he remembered the civil obedience movement. He would not let a minor thing like public opinion or protest affect his plans. So he ordered the preparation of a new security unit. Yassam. Young men, non-religious, preferably non-Jewish, trained to deal with protest. Their methods? Not arrest, not crowd control, not tear gas or water cannon. No. They trained exclusively with riot gear and just-barely non-lethal violence techniques. Metal batons, armored fists, causing broken bones and head serious head wounds. Stun grenades and huge oversized riot control horses for charging crowds. Black armor, grey uniforms, black shielded helmets, black armored gloves, black jack boots. No id, no badge, crew cuts. No females, no yalmuka's, no handcuffs (no arrests). Beatings, rage, trampling, that's their training. Religious may not apply, Zionists are forbidden. They exist to break the will (and bones) of protestors. They are the Yassamnikim, the Israeli government's private storm troopers. They were deployed in Gaza, but only at the 'severe' protesting points. They were deployed in Chevron to clear the Jewish owned market, the shuk. And they were deployed in Amona in all their gory (sic), trampling, beating, breaking. They physically threw a friend's 15 year son out a second story window (they were sitting waiting to be annoying by being dragged away). He survived, no bones broken, but they broke his spirit, today he's thrown away his kippah and his observance. They exist to break bones and break spirit. Their name is well earned. Storm troopers. This week, they are deployed to the ultra-religious neighborhoods of Meah Shearim and Geulah in Jerusalem. Tonight reports are they are literally storming yeshiva's and beating the SITTING student population. Report here. Storm troopers.

UPDATE (Red Tulips): Evidently the 'storm troopers' are guarding against the protestors against the gay pride parade. I believe in the gay pride parade and disagree with Akiva on this one. Given that he is glossing over the FACT that at last year's gay pride parade, there was a stabbing committed by a Haredi Jew that injured three people, he loses credibility. Police presence is necessary, and his cause is not just. That said, it is possible that the police are going overboard here. However, his cause is hardly the sort of 'civil rights' cause of Gandhi that he makes it out to be. It is anti-civil rights.